Today is the day that I meet up with the rest of the CIEE group, have orientation, and sleepover in another hotel with the rest of the students going to to France.

My mom, dad, and I started from Honolulu, HI about a month ago. We gathered everything we had and packed up our apt. After we moved out of the apt, we moved into a hotel called The Modern. After about 9 days at The Modern, my sister, Emily, and I flew to Anaheim, CA for a going away party with our California friends at Disneyland. Following our Disneyland trip, Emily and I flew up to San Francisco, CA to meet up with our parents. We drove to Arcata, CA and dropped off Emily at college a few days after we arrived. We helped her unpack, said our goodbyes, and then we were off.

This time, with just my parents and me, we boarded a train in San Francisco and we off to Chicago, IL. The train was fun and it was an experience I will never forget. My dad’s mom, Marilyn, met us in Chicago and we spent a few days there until we boarded our next train headed for Boston, MA.

Now, in Boston, my mom and dad, Mimi Marilyn, and Mimi Annette (my mom’s mom), and I are all getting ready to take me to the hotel for orientation. My Dad’s brother, Alan and his two kids, Matthew and Natalie came in yesterday to say bye to me. It was really great seeing them and I am glad they came!

I get two responses from people when they find out that I am going abroad. One is “I did that and it was the best thing I ever did!” and the other one is “The one thing I regret is not going abroad in school.” I know this is a wonderful opportunity for me and I am so happy I get to go. I am nervous and a little scared of that will come, but I know everything will work out!

I have cried some tears in the past two days because I will miss my parents. They tell me that they are so proud of me and that this is a great thing I am doing. I believe that this will be good for me and I will learn a lot.

I will be writing this blog once more from the United States and then it will be from France. It started off all in English, and will hopefully end all in French. I will be strong and brave on this new adventure!!! I will make new friends. I will study and learn a lot. And I will become fluent in french, writing, reading, and speaking.

This isn’t forever, I’ll be back. So, for those who are reading this, these are for you!

A hui hou. Hasta luego. Á toute à l’heure. See you later!

~Tara